The present invention relates generally to smart cards. Particularly, the present invention relates to voice annotation and storage in smart cards.
A larger percentage of consumer spending is accomplished with credit cards and debit cards. Credit and debit cards offer the convenience of receiving a single statement every month no matter how many transactions were performed.
Smart credit/debit cards have been gaining popularity lately. These cards provide the convenience of a normal credit/debit card but with a higher level of security for both the bank and the consumer. The card cannot be used if a password is not entered properly. Additionally, since the card can store and track account balances, the consumer must recharge the card in order to continue using it.
A typical smart credit/debit card is comprised of a microprocessor and memory. Connectors on the exterior of the card couple the smart card circuitry to a merchant""s card reader. Through the connectors, the card reader can read the contents of the memory in order to verify the consumer""s identity and/or debit the account balance.
Whenever a credit/debit card or a smart card is used, the bank records the merchant, date of purchase, and the amount of purchase for later use by the consumer. The consumer may then use this data in a personal finance management program (e.g., Quicken, MS Money) to track his spending.
One problem with credit/debit card transactions is that the bank does not record the actual item purchased. Since the bank""s statement may take up to a month to arrive, the consumer may have forgotten what was purchased from a particular merchant or why the purchase was made. There is a resulting need for a consistent and easy method of recording the content of purchases or other transactions involving a smart card.
The present invention encompasses a smart card that has the capability to store a voice annotation along with a transaction, such as a financial transaction. Before or after a consumer performs a transaction with the smart card, the consumer uses a microphone to produce a voice annotation signal. The voice annotation signal, in the preferred embodiment, is related to the transaction data (e.g., price, date, account balance) generated from the transaction.
The smart card has memory that stores the voice annotation signal with its respective transaction data. The voice annotation signal may be stored consecutive with the transaction data or in another location in memory with an address pointer to the linked transaction data.
A controller or processor is coupled to the microphone and the memory. The controller controls the smart card operations. The operations include user authorization, storage of the voice annotation signal, and storage of the respective transaction data.
An input/output (I/O) connector, coupled to the controller, provides the controller with the transaction data. The I/O connector couples the smart card to a merchant""s card reader or to the consumer""s card reader coupled to a printer and/or computer.